Urban Habitat Award – Award of Excellence: Greatwall Complex, Wuhan

Breaking Through the Podium Mold to Enhance the Public Realm

The Greatwall Complex has been designed and delivered as an exemplary development in the financial center of Wuhan, China, providing a world-class workplace and retail center, a vibrant public realm, as well as a high-performance and sustainable building. Its twin towers are linked by four floors of podium containing retail and food & beverage (F&B) spaces.

Through a series of open terrace spaces, the realm of the street extends up and across the four levels of podium. The new public spaces offer diverse amenities, including F&B terraces, art sculptures, water curtain wall, multimedia roof garden, and amphitheater.

The optimum solution defines a new civic space right in front of the building, connected through a series of processional ramp to a new roof garden on the podium. The processional ramp allowed all retail levels to open up at a new raised ground level, thereby maximizing leasable value for the client, while presenting a unique pedestrian experience in Wuhan.